Hajime no Ippo is part of an amazing history of creating incredible boxing anime. Since it started in the early aughts, the adventures of Ippo Makunouch in the ring have captivated viewers across several seasons of anime, specials, and an OVA.
With such a wide variety of releases this creates a unique problem — what order should they all be watched in, anyway? There are two strong arguments for which order to watch this bombastic boxing series.
Should you watch Hajime No Ippo in chronological order?
The simplest choice for watch order would be to simply watch things in order of release. Viewers get a complete story, there isn’t any serious jumping around, and it keeps things extremely simple and easy to keep track of. Here’s how to watch Hajime no Ippo chronologically:
- Hajime no Ippo (Season 1)
- Hajime no Ippo: Boxer no Kobushi
- Hajime no Ippo: Champion Road
- Hajime no Ippo: Mashiba vs. Kimura
- Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger
- Hajime no Ippo: Rising
However, this watch order does present a few parts of the story out of order, compared to how they came in the original manga series it’s based on.
How to watch Hajime no Ippo — The Manga Way
The events that take place in the OVA, Hajime no Ippo: Mashiba vs. Kimura, actually take place before those in the Hajime no Ippo: Champion Road special. So for those who want to see a story closer to that which mangaka George Morikawa intended, this is the best way to watch.
- Hajime no Ippo (Season 1)
- Hajime no Ippo: Boxer no Kobushi
- Hajime no Ippo: Mashiba vs. Kimura
- Hajime no Ippo: Champion Road
- Hajime no Ippo: New Challenger
- Hajime no Ippo: Rising
So which way is the best way to watch Hajime no Ippo?
Honestly, it just comes down to preference. Either way, viewers will get to experience the entire story, and it’s not going to make the story confusing, no matter which option is chosen. It all depends on how important the mangaka’s original intentions are for the story to each individual choosing. Just don’t let anyone make you feel bad no matter which way you choose. The important part is getting enjoying one of the best sports anime ever to exist.